Portable camping outfit



p 1936-- R. A. HASTINGS 2,054,673

PORTABLE CAMP I'NG OUTFIT ROBERT ALONZO HASTiNGS INVENTOR ZZWMMMZ ATroRNa/s PORTABLE CAMPING OUTFIT Filed March 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z 49 ROBERT ALONZO HASTINGS INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES,-

P T'ENT'QFmE" aosesvs PORTABLE CAMPING OUTFIT Robert Alonzo Hastings, Durban;

' South Africa Union of Application March21, 1935, Serial No. 12,218 In Union of South Africa November 7, 1934 Claims. (Cl. 135,4)

This invention relates to an improved collapsible and portable camping outfit providing covered-in sleeping accommodation which is particularly adapted to be attached to the rear of sides and a back with the rearwardly facing sidecompletely open.

Hingeably secured to the bottom of the head portion, is a rectangular frame which may have extensible longitudinal members and which is provided with sockets at each of the four corners for the insertion or attachment of removable supporting legs. During travelling the said frame if extensible is telescoped and hinged upwardly so that the longitudinal members are vertical. When in use the frame extends rearwardly from the back of the vehicle, its extreme end being supported on the two rear legs. Normally the front end of the frame will be supported by the rear of the car. If, however, it is-desired to detach the outfit, the two front legs may be inserted which makes it self-supporting. 7 7 a To provide a supporting framework for the tent canopy and sides, a plurality of bows or hoopsticks are connected together by an extensible system of levers on either side. A convenient system for this purpose is that operating on the lazy tongs principle. In employing this means for positioning the several hoop-sticks in spaced relationship with one another, the vertical legs of each hoop-stick are attached to the centre 40 pivot pins of the levers forming each set. The first hoop-stick will be permanently attached in a vertical position to the vertical sides of the head portion. The remainder will then be free to be extended concertina fashion in a rearward direction until the end hoop-stick coincides with the rear end of the frame while the remainder will be more or less equally spaced from it. V A further novel feature of the invention resides in the provision of a foldable. fioor or covering for the frame which is attached to the bows or hoop -sticks, in such a manner that extension of these members, as above described, causes the simultaneous opening out of the floor over the said frame to form a fiat surface for supporting a mattress or the like. In like manner the floor covering is folded together when the movable hoop-sticks are closed inwardly concertina-fashion'against the fixed hoop-stick attached to the head portion. In addition the floor sections when thusfoldedtogether provide the fourth side of I. the box-like head portionthereby, forming a convenient receptacle for carrying the side curtains and other loose parts comprising the outfit.

In a modified formof the invention, the two rearmost hoop-sticks are dispensed with as are 10 also-the two rearmostsectionsforming the covering orfloor'for the frame. In addition the frame is correspondinglycurtailed and is made with shorter rigid longitudinal members. The rear'end of this frame is, as before, supported by 16 removable legs fitting into sockets secured to the frame corners. -Pr eferably only three hoop sticks will 'beemployed necessitating only two hingedfloor sections.

To provide the additional length for sleeping 20:

purposes, separate. extension pieces of suitable length having flush folding legs at theirrear ends, will be arranged to be connected to the rear bar of the frame. Preferably thisrear bar will be provided, with a series of holes with which hooks 5 or the like on the extension pieces will beadapted to engage.

.To enable the outfit to accommodate'itself to any irregularities of the camping site, means are provided foradjusting the effective length of the 30V legs such. as by a series of holes in the sockets and ends of thelegs through which locking pins may be passed. In addition the hand portion may be so connected to the rear of the vehicle that a certain amount of adjustment from the vertical 5 is possible. 7 H

Means arealso provided whereby the frame may be rigidly connected to the head portion such as by the provisionsof holes inthe longitudinal members remote from the hinge axis with which 40 pins may be engaged'for locking purposes.

To enable the invention to be more readily understood and carried into-practice, reference will now be made tothe accompanying sheets of drawingsillustrating preferred constructions of 45 theinventiomand in which like references refer to'like parts throughout all views. Inthe drawings:- j I Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the camping outfit in its'travelling position secured to the rear of a'.mot rcar.fl f Fig. 2 is an end elevation taken on Fig. 1. Fig. 3fi's a side elevation, showing the camping outfit a partially: open or extended position 55 but with the canopy or head covering left out for the sake of clarity.

Fig. 4 is a similar view to that shown in Fig. 3 but in which the outfit is in its fully extended position.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified construction of the invention and shows the canopy or head covering in position when the outfit is fully.

opened out.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the modification shown in Fig. 5, with the addition of side curtains and lean-to shelters on each side.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view-of the hinged joint between the frame and the head portion.

Fig. 8 is an under plan view of one of the extension pieces with the legs folded flush therewith.

Referring to the drawings reference I denotes the rear portion of a motor car to which the boxlike head portion 2 of the camping outfit is secured by struts 3 and stayed by rods 4 fixed to any convenient part of the vehicle such as the hinge pin 5 of the hood bow 6. The struts 3 are preferably clamped to the arms of the rear bumpers 1 although the outfit may be attached to the vehicle in any other convenient fashion.

Hingeably secured adjacent the bottom of the I head portion 2 is a rectangular frame 8 which may have extensible side members as shown in Fig. 2. The frame 8 is provided with sockets 9 at each of its four corners for the insertion and attachment of removable supporting legs I0. In the travelling position the frame 8, if extensible, is telescoped and hinged to the upright position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Normally the front or head end of the frame 8 will be supported by the rear of the car, but if it is desired to detach the outfit, the two front legs (shown dotted) may be inserted in their sockets 9 which makes the whole outfit self -supporting.

To provide a collapsible supporting framework for the tent canopy and side curtains, a plurality of bows or hoop-sticks, (11, In, or, d1 are connected together by an extensible system of levers H on either side as clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. A convenient system for this purpose is that operating on the lazy tongs principle. In employing this means for positioning the several hoop-sticks in spaced relationship with one another, the vertical legs of each hoop-stick are hingeably attached to the centre pivot pins l2 of each set. The first hoop-stick a, is permanently attached to the vertical sides of the head portion 2, while additional hinged hoop-sticks 61, ii, are so arranged that on opening out they form the supporting means for an overhanging portion of the canopy. It will be understood that normally the water-proof material forming the canopy or head covering is permanently attached to the top portions of the several hoop-sticks and is not shown in Figs. 3- and 4 merely for the purpose of enabling the invention to be more clearly understood. To fix the hoop-sticks in their open or extended position detachable fastening means such as cabin hooks 29 will be employed so as rigidly to connect opposing link members as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. g V

The floor covering for the frame 8 comprises a series of sections l3, I4, I5, and [6 preferably of plywood or the like, hinged together so that they fold flat against one another in alternate directions. To enable this framecovering to un- 7 'fold simultaneously with the rearward extension of the hoop-sticks, the ends of alternate hinged pins are connected to alternate hoop-sticks b1 and d1, as shown at I 'l and I 8. The first section I3 will of course be hinged to the bottom board of the head portion 2. Preferably each floor section will in width be equal to the distance between two adjacent hoop-sticks in their fully extended positions.

The floor sections when folded flat one against the other form the fourth side for the box-like head portion 2, and the hinge points IQ of the frame 8 are spaced slightly to the rear of the head portion 2 so that the frame 8 in its vertical travelling position will lie fiush against and support the folded floor sections in this position as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Straps or the like 20 may be employed to lash the whole in the travelling position.

The upper part of the head portion 2 is enclosed by a hood 22 of waterproof material such as canvas having an opening 23 directly opposite the rear window 24 of the car I, and adapted to be closed by a roll-up curtain 25. This provision ensures that the drivers rear view is not obscured by attachment of the outfit to the rear of the vehicle.

In a modified construction of the invention, two of the five hoop-sticks as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are dispensed with as are also the two rearmost floor sections 15 and 16. In this construction the canopy 2| is attached'to and supported by two intermediate hoop-sticks g and h, and hinged hoop-sticks corresponding to those denoted by references 61, h, in Figs. 3 and 4. In addition a rigid shorter frame 26 is employed which is made long enough to support the two hinged floor sections 21 and 28 while sockets 9 as before provide means for the attachment of the legs H].

To provide the necessary additional length for sleeping purposes separate detachable extension pieces 30 provided with flush folding legs 3| at their rear ends, are arranged to be connected to the rear bar of the frame 26 by means such as short hooks 32 engageable in suitably spaced holes in said rear bar. The said holes may be arranged so that the extension pieces can be connected to lie adjacent one another so as to form a double bed, or separated laterally so as to form in effect two single beds. A further centrally positioned set of holes may be provided enabling one extension piece to be connected so as to form in effect a table. The legs 3| are hinged to longitudinal bars 33 and are adapted, in known manner, to be folded flush as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8, which provision enables these extension pieces to be stowed away in the box-like head portion 2 during travelling.

The canopy 2| is provided with flaps 34 having fastenings 35 for the attachment of the side curtains 36 so as to enclose the sleeping space in a weather-proof manner. The overhanging portion of the canopy is secured by ties 31 of canvas or the like, detachably securable to the hoopstick it. The common hinge pin of the floor sections 21 and 28 will preferably be provided with an eye at each end adapted to engage slidably with a guide bar 38 secured to the vertical portions of the hoop-stick g.

Where it is desired to increase the sleeping accommodation; additional sheets of waterproof fabric may be attached to the flaps 34 and supported by tent poles 4| so as to form lean-to shelters 42,7 43 on either side of the main chamber as illustrated in Fig. 6. The usual guy ropes 44 and tent pegs 45 will be employed to stay and secure the whole structure.

To enable the outfit to accommodate itself to irregularities of the camping site, means are provided for adjusting the effective length of the supporting legs I0 such as by providing a series of holes in the sockets 9 and top ends of the legs Ill through which locking pins may be passed for adjustment purposes. In addition the head portion 2 may be so connected to the rear of the vehicle, that a certain amount of adjustment on either side of the vertical position is possible. This is conveniently arranged by providing a series of holes in a bracket 46 bolted to therhead portion 2 with which the ends of the horizontal stay rods 4 may be selectively connected.

Means are also provided whereby the longitudinal members of the frame 26 can be rigidly connected at right angles to the head portion 2. A practical method of carrying the idea into practice is illustrated in Fig. '7. In this construction angle sectioned members 41 bolted to the head portion 2 extend rearwardly and are provided near their extremities with holes through which pass the hinge pins 48 of the frame 26. The frame 26 is hinged at a point inwardly from its end and additional holes 49 therein coincide with additional holes 50 in members 41 when the frame and said members register in line with one another, and a pin or bolt passed through said coinciding holes will secure the frame 26 rigidly to the head portion 2.

A dust cover 5| will preferably be used to enclose the top portions of the hoop-sticks when the outfit is lashed in its travelling position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

What I claim is:--

1. An improved collapsible and portable camping outfit providing covered-in sleeping accommodation and adapted to be attached to the rear of a motor vehicle, comprising a vertically disposed head portion of box-like form having means for attaching it to the vehicle, a rectangular frame composed of one or more sections, one of which is hingeably secured adjacent the bottom of said head portion provided with means at each of its four corners for the removable and adjustable attachment of supporting legs, a plurality of hoop-sticks for supporting a canopy and side curtains and connected together by means of an extensible system of levers, said sticks adapted to be extended concertina fashion from the head portion over said frame when the frame is swung from a vertical travelling position to a horizontal position and supported by said legs, and a foldable floor attached to said hoop-sticks whereby extension of said sticks causes the simultaneous unfolding of the floor over the frame to form a fiat surface for supporting a mattress or the like.

2. An improved collapsible and portable camping outfit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the foldable floor for the frame comprises a plurality of rectangular sections of suitable material hinged together by means of hinges so as to fold flat against one another in alternate directions, the ends of alternate hinges of which are hingeably connected to alternate hook-sticks adjacent their ends.

3. An improved collapsible and portable camping outfit as claimed in claim I wherein the first hoop-stick is permanently fixed to the head portion and the remainder of the hoop-sticks in the travelling position are adapted to be collapsed against and lashed to the fixed hoop-stick, and wherein the foldable floor comprising a plurality of rectangular sections hinged together so as to fold flat against one another in alternate directions in their folded travelling position, forms the fourth side for the box-like head portion and are securely held in this position by the hinged frame section when it is swung to and secured in its vertical travelling position.

4. An improved collapsible and portable camping outfit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a shorter frame than is necessary to provide full length sleeping accommodation is employed composed of a single rigid section, and detachable extension pieces, having flush folding legs, said extension pieces being attachable to the rear end of said frame to provide the necessary extra length, and wherein hinged hoop-sticks extending from the last vertical hook-stick, provide roof or head covering over said extension pieces.

5. An improved collapsible and portable camping outfit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extensible system of levers employed is that operating on the lazy tongs principle and wherein means for locking the system in the extended position consists of detachable fastening means such as cabin hooks employed to rigidly connect opposing lever members.

ROBERT ALONZO HASTINGS. 

